


Sideswiped (Hope)

by blindtaleteller



Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [25]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Bad Flirting, Confused Tony, Confused Tony Stark, Gen, Lokiverse - Freeform, Mixology (Lokiverse), Platovember, Platovember 2020, Sassy, Sassy Loki (Marvel), Sassy Peter, conjoined AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindtaleteller/pseuds/blindtaleteller
Summary: After getting the crap knocked out of them by Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian in the process of trying to defend the Time Stone, Tony and Peter end up stowing away on the giant flying doughnut that passes for their ship in the hopes of keeping Strange alive and the rock out of Thanos' hands. Making a plan turns half sideways though; when Team Trouble shows up to well, stab the doughnut.. literally.Is that even possible? How do you stab a metal doughnut that big..?
Relationships: platonic - Relationship
Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999015
Kudos: 7
Collections: Loki, Platonic Relationships, Prompted Writing





	Sideswiped (Hope)

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Apparently I hit the Post button instead of Save as draft earlier! XD My bad! Should be finished now!!  
> Back to Universe/Door 9 with the Guardians and (of course) Loki: picking up a little after where we left off in 'Old Switch' in this same prompt series.
> 
> Pete and Loki play off each other pretty well; and in case you couldn't tell between how many of Quill are peppered through the late-game stories in particular: it's hard for me not to allow them to slip into at least a friendship when they do come across each other at the very least.
> 
> I've said this before, but the guy whose last line in the original Guardians was 'So what should we do next? Somethin' good, something bad, a bit a both..? " being self answered after Gamora's cue as '...bit a both!': and our favorite God of Mischief?
> 
> Yeah, they always fit well in my head. Definitely someone Loki would have gotten on with in here, even before looking at the rest of who they are and how they work as individuals.  
> Enjoy!

  * IDENTIFY LOCATION: TONY STARK/UNDESIGNATED - DIMENSIONAL IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED : HVRA0616-9H-09
  * \---INTER-UNIVERSAL DOORWAY ENTRY POINT H9 : OBSERVATIONAL STATUS - TVA INTERFERENCE : _NONE DETECTED_
  * \----SPACE : IN TRANSIT : VISITATION CAUTIONS _HEAVILY_ _ADVISED_
  * \------KNOWN DOMESTIC TIME VARIANCE : 10:34 AM US EST: APRIL, 2018



##  -=Sideswiped=-

Okay. _All right._ Deep _breath,_ Tony.

What are you gonna do now anyway? Kick Parker out the side door into open space? You're here, he's here. Way too late for the extra lecture and really? Not knowing how much time they had before either the big grey guy below killed the Wizard and took the rock, or they got where they were going; do not have the time for it either. And he was right. How did this kid spit out exactly what Tony needed to slap the stupid out of his anxiety-fueled spurts of verbal diarrhea? Because yes, _'You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood!'_ was pretty damned valid and, to the point that; Tony himself was up there.

God Tony wanted to slap him for being right, the same; as he pushed out that hissing breath on the turn: having to give on that: for so many reasons including the fact that was, why he'd hand-picked the kid. " Come on, we got a situation. " The view was shit, and a bad scenario all around.

Cause here they were, along for the ride in a space ship that passed for a flying doughnut; looking down at the same guy they needed to safety net being tortured by floaty needles the length of Tony's forearm. No telling if he would crack and hand over what the grey no-nosed freak down there was after in putting him through the stabbity-stab: but he was guessing this guy was not going to be incredibly patient. " ...see 'im down there? _He's in trouble;_ what's your plan? " a brief glance to Mister Grey's right, behind him: a new light flashing on one of the consoles below, fast and bright yellow; then red as Pete was thinking the view through. " Uhm.... _okay._ " and listening. " _Okay, **okay..** uh;_ did you ever see this really old movie, Aliens? "

Ten minutes later, "Painful, aren't they? They were originally designed for micro-surgery. " Tony was on his way to nailing the landing behind little man grey; " And any one of them -- " and yep, nailed it. He was turning his attention right where it needed to be. " --could end your friend's life in an instant. "

Locked on Stark and his suit where he'd landed in the open cockpit behind him, focused in on him, instead of the kid and the cape. There was a brief glance to Tony's right after he turned. " Gotta tell ya, he's not my friend. " That console. Why was that making him itch in his suit with the double-take even as he was finishing off the comment. _Please, **please** don't be an internal sensor pointing out the kid._ " Saving his life is more of a _professional courte--_ "

## ~!!-B O O M-!!~

And the whole ship shifted unexpectedly; harsh enough to make Tony stumble a step to one side. Hard enough for Strange to nearly drop with the suddenly jarring impact: not from inside but outside, and half the needles to clang and jingle and seep through the grating under him. Hard enough for nasty man Grey to hiss and recollect his own balance physical and otherwise as Tony let off his shot and three of those needles skimmed his armor along the ribs: very much aware that the half the lighting from behind him --stars whizzing past through that viewer-- had cut out or stopped. " _Friends_ of yours? " from the grey man with no visible nostrils had him glancing as he took cover and fired again: and damn it he was ripping up pieces of the ship big enough to potentially be a problem to toss at him: the angle had changed and Tony didn't have a shot. But he saw the ship, no two; three: " Never seen 'em before _but_ ...you know what they say; _the enemy of **my** enemy._ " whip by the viewer while it was still turning off that just-hit skewed axis.

They'd been knocked out of transit, somehow: and hey, _yes please_ Tony would take that.

_Thank you, mystery space-gang!_

Just needed to take advantage of that; and get preacher fugly-voodoo-witch-doctor -- _the interstellar **bad** BDSM edition_\-- _out_ and _into the void_ if they still _could._

That _was_ what Tony had been thinking; when the viewer behind him to his right with the cover he'd taken: suddenly exploded inwards, and he was forced to grab onto it for dear life.

Well; _exploding_ wasn't quite _right._ Something really big, shiny metallic and pointy had just _shanked_ it's way right through that front windshield; almost punting mister grey back: firing a grapple at his surprised ass and then just yanked right back out into space, taking him _with it._ Which was great and _a much more precise_ version of what they'd intended? But now there was that whole bit where Tony was _closest_ to the giant hole left behind in the ship they were in; and the atmosphere was now threatening to pull him out next as it whipped right out into the vacuum.

" **_Shit_ SHIT _shit!!_** " pretty much all he had on half panic mode with the sudden switch up as he aimed the suppressant and impact foam; and fired: trying, to aim on target and get that much bigger hole sealed as fast as he could. Peter was right there and grabbing Strange with _one_ hand: and trying to help with his spray from the other, while Stark managed to take in the view of what had just happened. Little knife of a ship among the three had _literally_ stabbed it's nose right in that front viewer and pulled back out to accomplish that.

It was hitting the hole from the other side with a pair of folding-crane arms out of one panel still, and basically pasting a new piece of metal and glass over the hole while mister grey was floating dead to rights -- _literally_ \-- and away into airless, _negative four hundred and fifty degrees_ temperature of space, still tailing the cable that had been cut loose: looking a lot like an ugly half deflated balloon gone terribly, horribly wrong. As the rush of air died down and the fans kicked in replacing the atmosphere, the pointy little ship latched on bottom first; and Tony fell to one knee no longer being sucked out, realizing there was a loud thump from the other end of the open space in the ship too as he did; before the sound of gears and rush of air from that end. " ..what _the hell._ "

The pop, and crunching landing of yet more three inch 'glass' right next to him had him looking up again. " Uh, mister Stark; whatta we do?! " at a glance had Tony noting that the Wizard was in one piece, but someone was coming down the corridor behind him and Peter. And what _could_ they do? Didn't know who they were, as a seal better solidified around the much more controlled new hole in that viewer in the panel above was cut; and a hatch started to twist into place and open: but " Hold steady kid; be ready for _anything.._ these guys just .. _maybe_ saved our butts..? "

" ...front airlock _clear,_ blue eyes; you got three and _...........a flying **coat?**_ What the hell _ever,_ in the cockpit though. " was picked up by his suit and thrown into his comms more than Tony's actual ears from down that corridor. It got answered a lot closer than that though; the rumbling silk of a voice that was familiar enough to instantly make his skin crawl " _..yes,_ I saw them when I stabbed her. I know these th _\--two,_ of these three. " even before the other one landed almost next to him: wasn't exactly something Tony was sure he wanted to verify.

" How about the other one? You said there's a big guy usually drives this piece a shit? "

" Cull Obsidian, yes.. " tall, darkly clad in black leather and a horned, visored helmet had already passed him when he'd shoved it back up and out of his face on the way to Peter, _and_ Strange. The sound, _not_ as distorted when he did and Tony was aiming a repulsor at his back, only made that creeping feeling worse. " One is among the Avengers I kicked into starting up after the idea was nearly canned, as mentioned. Iron Man; _Tony Stark._ The one with the flying cloak, is the toddler currently heading the Mystic Order that I mentioned; the one we chased to save from the teenager Cull _usually_ plays chauffeur for. Cull _would have_ already been on us, _if_ he were present. "

" All clear, then? " came a lot closer from the back and was instantly answered with " Yes. " and to a wide-eyed, pale faced Peter as he turned his attention to Parker; " _..awesome._ Shanking the doughnut, actually worked. " from the one further back and Tony found his feet to continue failing at pinning or even interesting the closer one with the dark hair and familiar voice with his raised, armed hand in his slow side-step. Yeah, completely ignored for the intros. " ..who are _you_ though? You look a _tad young_ to be putting yourself out into _space_ as a full blooded Terran. _Never mind_ in the middle of _this._ "

Tony had no goddamned words; when Parker flashed him a quick questioning, and very scared look. Strange was only just starting to come around then. " I.. _uhm._ Peter. Peter Parker, sir. " because motherfucker and if that face and form didn't belong to " ...you ah, you're _Loki;_ aren't you......... sir? The guy that attacked New York? Back in, twenty twelve? " small pause as Loki tipped his head at him and pulled Strange's chin up to have a look at his recovering face. Left Tony's head stuttering over the fact they had just been snagged by the guy that had kind of started it all. And _especially_ tripping over the way he'd addressed the other guy in reference to it. Which, was definitely tripping _Parker_ up too. Because _what the hell_ did he just say to the one in the almost freaky goggled metal helmet?

" That's him _yep!_ First guy in this fight as I understand it.Our man with the eight year plans..! " from said metal-head coming up the ramp. " _..Speaking_ of which man; you heard Gamora. If we're gonna get this piece of shit out of the next in line's way so they _don't_ notice we took 'im out? We better get it moving, like _now._ They're only five gates behind. We got maybe an hour lay-over to get this crap out the lanes and back on the moon. "

Loki nodded, before looking at Tony finally: instead of the Wizard Doctor. Strange was jolting, choosing then to come around well enough for taking in that face to register. " ....what are _you_ doing here? " sounded about as surprised and angry as Tony was almost, sort of and _very confusedly_ headed for.

" Saving _your_ arse, unsurprisingly. Get down the walk.. _Peter!_ " was answered from both Parker, and the new green eyed ginger guy too; as his helmet shrunk back with a " **Yeah..?** " that had Loki sighing as Tony approached, having to fucking poke him to get the reality he was there and not killing anyone in his head just as a start. " _Quill_ ...show them back to the Benatar, _mm?_ Strange will need medical attention as well, and I'm going to set up atmospheric venting and remote flight. We need time to settle her in the moors before we head back to Earth proper. "

" **Back?** " was the first word Tony managed, nearly squeaked with ...so many levels of building irritation, disbelief and general upset that it re-caught Loki's attention. ** _Loki._ **Yeah his head was still trying to get a solid grip on the fact he was there. And he had just saved their skin.

" Yes, Stark: _back._ We were gearing up and outfitting to join the fray when they landed. We hurried as best we could but; well. " was that disappointment? Did Loki, just sigh at him? " ...That fight was over far quicker than we'd hoped. We ended up chasing you through the gates. " which, was weird and icky; and he really just straight up did not know what to think other than to slap the ginger's hands off his arm; before Loki himself motioned for the lackey to head off with Parker and Strange. " You were lucky in that my ships, and his M-class; are faster. We caught up with him easily in the gaps between.. and now here we are. "

" We had things under control -- " was not meant to cue the entire lot chiming in almost at once; but that was the resulting domino Tony ended up flicking with it anyway.

" You want me to zap 'im? " the ginger.

" Oh yes I could see that, with Celt's magical toddler pinned up like a biology science project; and your only backup being _a twelve year old_ and the equivalent of a flying shawl. " Loki himself, just as annoyed and not off, even if Tony hated to admit it.

" He's fifteen. " wasn't the best defense either.

" Sixteen, sir. **_Sirs._ **Almost _seventeen?_ " from Parker was not helping in amongst the rest of the rapid fire. " And I'm _pretty sure_ it's a cloak. " wasn't exactly on that list of helpful things either, nope.

" Looks like a cape to me. " from the extra Peter with the gingery top again and the extra pluck as he was trying to get a struggling, but still unsteady Strange going with that screwy look. " We _really_ gotta go though! This is not, the place to be hangin' out if we're gonna keep them from gettin' the _other_ rock on Earth. "

And of course Strange had to kick in, because why not;" It _is,_ a cloak. And **_I_** am-- " which had Loki actually rubbing his temples in a way that had Tony taking a step back and clamping his own mouth shut: in part because reality check .. these guys did have their only surefire way home, _had_ just and yes _saved their ass.._ and especially? First and foremost? He knew that look. He himself had worn it many many times when trying to keep patience with Parker's motor mouth; and was suddenly collecting the fact that it would probably not take much for them to get left behind and stranded in space if they kept pushing his buttons right this moment, as a start.

" **ZIP IT!!** " suddenly burst from Loki at full volume over all of them, well enough to startle pretty much everyone except his redheaded Peter, who folded in a smile. " RAISE YOUR **_BLOODY HAND_** IF YOU'RE **EVEN** OVER THE AGE OF **ONE** HUNDRED?! " and had Loki actually growling and grinding his teeth, when _the **cape**_ raised an edge up over Stephen Strange's head. He swatted it down almost immediately, one handed.

" _..hand._ **Hand!** As in.. you _do not_ count, you _tailored traitor!_ " breath, and He actually pointed to the corridor none of them were headed down. Stephen made to open his mouth, and got the immediate " **Nuh- UH!** " and " **This?** Is where the lot of you children **shut it,** while the one **thousand** _**five** _hundred year _plus_ old _**adult** is speaking;_ get your childish asses after Quill; your _wounded **tended,**_ your bloody _selves **rested**_ for what time we have between fights ** _if_** I don't end up putting you in the blasted brig for a time out when we get home: _**or,** consequently_ find yourselves in a ship _vented of atmosphere_ in the next ten minutes as a means to be _certain_ we're ** _not_** bringing any strange alien life forms with us, alive to Lua **_or_** Earth! Never mind anywhere else. "

" Well, _and; **honey:**_ " with a half deadpanned sort of _reminding you_ tone from 'Quill' as he started to backpedal with Strange: was a classic sort. The kind you expected out of the mom in the front seat after the old man let out a whole line of warnings and threats to pull over from the drivers seat that, _okay._ Yeah, Tony could not help but get a grip with the _very serious way_ the guy delivered that slap of _obvious_ humor. " You _do_ mean besides the ones we already got on board, _right?_ The other kids've been _real_ good! And you _did_ promise 'em they could _totally kill;_ the _next_ assholes in line what made for Earth, _remember?_ " Tony could not help but stare at the ginger scrufflord, as Quill's smile slowly broke out along with the last few words.

And, snap that look to Loki when he actually snorted in response; and was giving the ginger a lopsided smirk. " Yes, _yes..._ ...get, you. _Now._ " and push a _trying not to smirk_ Parker along by the shoulder to add " Help him. Strange is a stubborn, _prideful ass_ and no lighter for it. "

" I.. " the briefest look to Tony from Parker, and he was quick on the step after. " Yessir. " and the fast-mouthed tack-on " _Thank you,_ sir! For _ah.._ coming to pick us up, from outer space...? " did, actually help snap the most important things into better perspective for Tony once again. Even if it did sound ridiculous. Leave it to the team baby.

Stark noted, Loki made no attempt to shoo _him_ along with the other kids. He just blew out a long breath watching them as if he half expected one or all of them to stop or turn around at about halfway down that weird slightly curved corridor: and shook his head. " ...I see _you've_ had your hands full as well, while I've been away. " tugged Tony's brows up, because wow and yeah, and _that was **one**_ _place_ to start this conversation over again; wasn't it. Along with the added smaller surprise of " You all right, Anthony? You've been surprisingly quiet _and_ lacking in the realm of _shooting me repeatedly._ I didn't' flag you _too hard_ with the stab through the window, did I? "

And finally those icy blue eyes again; and he realized the onyx haired Trickster was earnestly asking. " _No,_ I'm ...all in one working piece. " a nod after the lot when they disappeared through some turn he couldn't see clearly but was obviously there for them to take. " So and pardon me for asking while you work; and _feel free to delegate a little_ since I admittedly know jack about this kind of craft at the moment: _but._ " because he was, working immediately. Kicking over a hinged section of grated flooring and reaching right in there to get in on whatever systems he needed to access. " What _ **is** this;_ a post-rehab _make-up_ kinda thing or..? "

" **Or.** " was the first reply and had Tony taking in a slow breath in and looking around at his surroundings, and the reminder of the situation that was the only thing keeping him from exploding or attempting to go crazy on his tall and too pretty as always ass. When a continuation didn't come, he blew it out a good deal sharper. And took up the silence himself " _Okay, **look**_ man. I am.. _grateful for the assist_ out of left field, I _am._ But .. you _gotta_ give a brother more'n _that_ to work with. Especially, in _this_ situation; and _especially_ with the kinda relationship you, _and me:_ and _most **of Earth** have had_ to date, _okay?_ "

" Why? " from half under said grate as he was pulling wiring and whatnot and connecting it to cables Tony hadn't noticed he had pulled in with him from the neat little knife of his still attached to the window: miffed him a bit. " You clearly already know at least _the basics_ of this situation necessary. Which isn't too surprising considering Heimdall sent Bruce _well_ and ahead of us before the Statesman was assaulted and blown to Hel. _Thanos;_ on his way. _Infinity stones,_ in need of securing; and keeping out of his grasp. _Killing him,_ and the _rest_ of his generals? Not _only_ preferred, but _necessary to finally end the threat._ "

" Mm _hm._ Your old boss, coming to town: with every intent to paint it red with people juice. I got _that_ bit. " at least that was some of what they had been telling themselves. But, and he would have been annoyed that the slack got piled into his own grip if not for the fact he literally had made the offer, when it came with that particular look of 'really' that said his implicatons there and Loki's actions; were very obviously not lining up. " So what was that bit about _the Avengers?_ "

" Don't _pretend._ " was just quick enough not to be considered a snap as he went at plugging in the leads and then biding that slack together while Tony was holding it. " You knew _very well,_ as _I_ did; that _before_ I started putting all this in motion that Shield's Avengers initiative was on it's way _into the trash bin._ Fury told you _himself,_ as I understand it. " was still a kick in the shin as far as _'things I wasn't aware he knew'_ and _'how far Loki's manipulations might go'_ went, just the same as that confirmation snapped into place.

" And don't pretend that _you're_ too stupid after finding _even one_ out, or _this_ many _years_ to think about it that you _hadn't guessed_ some of the fact that; hello.. Odin, his alliances and armies watch Midgard, or _oh yes:_ hasn't Loki visited several hundred years in the past? ** _If_ **he's going to do it while the old goat _is_ watching; _why wait_ til we have things like _guns_. And _super soldiers,_ and bloody men in rocket suits like _me;_ when he can have just played god, win it all over in a few nights centuries past and _have done with it **well**_ before any of us were even born _just_ as a start: _either._ " being topped off with " You're _smarter than that_ Stark, and I bloody well _know_ it. " kept Stark's mouth shut purely for the compliments in what he'd said, at first and as that settled in the air.

And also had him kicking himself a little. Because he'd tossed the ideas around once or twice, yes.

But he hadn't taken any of that seriously as he probably should have. And what that meant, what Loki viewed them as if that wasn't him mocking Tony one hundred percent: was a few hundred steps _down_ from the view he had of himself, with their behavior viewed from _that_ particular angle.

Which, standing here now; felt like a really stupid under-estimation of facts present during, before and after; on his end alone. Even if, he _hadn't_ been alone in that estimation. " You know. You _coulda_ just been forthcoming with all this shit? " got him a glance at least from syncing up the wire work and starting in on setting up what he was guessing was the remote controls. And got him a snort to go with it. " Easy for _you_ to say. You _weren't the one_ with daily brain connections required to be certain you _weren't_ betraying Thanos; for him to send someone else through and take your place. "

And _.. oof._ **Yes..** Tony had heard _\--or rather read--_ the mention of his _phoning home_ from the agents that _did_ remember what had gone down in Loki's camp, since New York too; and admittedly shuffled that bit aside as well, _just like everyone else._ " There was a _bare minimum_ expected; which I had to fulfill, in order to believably buy us more time. Moving pieces. Allowing you lot to grow and get more comfortable than just 'takes us a while to get any traction.' " Double oof, because he knew those words too. Tony had said them himself, on top of that tower.

" Imagine, hm; " and he was typing into the nearest console as he talked. Fast at it too, and briefly distracting Tony with what he was doing before the follow up to that word was cranked out. " What _would_ happen, _how_ this would happen; _without_ that catalyst and time. _Without_ the Avengers. Assuming; my information is still up to date that is, and you're all _still at it?_ The champion business? "

It took him a few seconds to nod, though.. he still was not happy with the state of things back on Earth, and it probably showed. " _Two_ teams now, but yeah. " seemed to let Loki breathe a little better; and told Tony right away that.. he actually had been counting on them still being there and active. " Cap's got his team, I've got mine. "

" Where _are_ the rest of yours then? " was sort of the punch in the groin he saw coming. Because one way or another, they were apparently on the same team in this run; and Tony recognized he was going to have to answer that soon either way. And well, sooner was better while they had the time. " Bruce is ah, he's going through some kind of thing, with his greener half after your brother bought it: so he's back on Earth. And then there's Vision, who you don't know.. nice guy. Artificial life form me and Banner made a few years back. Sort of.. accidental thing attached to the Mind Stone.. " which definitely paused him to a stop, but Tony didn't stop there himself. " ..also AWOL, for a bit. Probably chasing Wanda. You haven't met her either. Apparently that _particular_ rock can grant powers to some folk, under the wrong circumstances. And there's Mister Parker. "

Daring a look down? He definitely felt like he was being stared at in the same dad tones he had slapped on earlier when ordering the rest of them back to whatever other ship was waiting in the other direction. The not impressed, dad look. " So it's just you and the boy..? " and Tony's delay and the turn of his head apparently was enough to make Loki sigh. " Anthony, _that_ isn't a _team._ " and he knew it; he knew it, god dammit! " That's _a **duo.**_ "

" I know, that...!! " and " I screwed _up, okay?_ I wasn't alone there, in _that_ whole realm of; but yes and I screwed up, and our whole _..everything,_ our family: _split._ Me and the kid got left on our own, in the official sense. Happy to _hear it?_ " was Tony caving under that look; and pulling out things that: he realized he had been more than putting off dealing with.

Long look, as he stood up to look down at him, and damn it but he knew he actually meant it when he said " _No,_ actually. " in a somber enough tone to go with it that said he actually might have really been disappointed. And that was weird, and difficult to hear all at once. More difficult to meet eye to eye. Doubly so when he said " I know you though, hm. Maybe not as well as I would have _liked_ at points -- " did surprise him a little along the way through his commentary. " --but I _do_ know you. I can guess what happened. That said.. this does look like a good opportunity to patch things up between you if that's the case; doesn't it. "

" Yeah, _right.._ it ain't that easy. " had his eyes again as Loki was taking the wiring again. Couldn't meet his eyes after putting that out there. And what was he doing, anyway? Unloading at Loki of all people, like that? Like... like he owed the guy, who ultimately put them on that road together the explanation; even if the role he'd had when it had happened had been a shitty one. Like just maybe, even on some small level and even before he'd said as much; Tony might have seen just one finger of his in that and had to say when pressured. And having a part of letting that fall apart felt like it needed that recognition, even without the existential bullshit they were all about to be heaped into together. Were already, heaped into; together.

" Allow me to give you some advice, this once then. About people. " had Tony pursing his lips, pushing them together and tugging his chin up and a notch to one side; brows raised. " Unless it really is about you? Stop _making it_ about you, and letting others do it; unless you _really have to,_ and that will get _a great deal_ easier. " was the side swipe Tony really hadn't seen coming. A left hook that, man: thinking about Parker and the things that sometimes came out of his mouth, and then listening to this guy? Really actually not only scared Tony a little realizing that Loki was probably a more refined, grown of version of that?

The man rather than the kid, with that ability to spot he truth and the bullshit and just yank it out of the air? " If what you lot built in my wake, that family you mentioned is meant to be about you only? Mm. All right. But if it isn't if that isn't the purpose, then perhaps you need to stop pretending there too. Swallow your pride and actually take the lead, and the hits that come with it if you want it and you have to, to have it; those are always, always there waiting for you when you step in front. By yourself or otherwise. The rest will either follow, or not. Might not be quick; people see and think and feel what they want regardless of your personal desires, truths or.. well just whatever; until you show them otherwise. Words are cheap, even when they're true because of that. You want results with people, you have to show them and give them a reason they can understand and grip to. Sometimes _fast_ is impossible, because of that. No matter how much they claim to want it. Never mind how much you do. "

And, he was stepping away; and Tony was staring back into time. A real look, applying that to what had been going on the last seven-ish years. Not just to Loki and his presence, and seeing dozens of things there on their own. The real impact was, seeing that in his own choices, with where he was at personally: whittled down to exactly what Loki had said as a result; a duo instead of a team. And Steve's, too: they'd both done that. Especially with what had happened with Barnes. They'd made it about them. And maybe it was at the time on some level.

But it shouldn't have been. Not then; and not the way the division should have gone down. And yes. He had his part in that.

" Anthony..? " almost sing-song from almost ten feet away down that corridor had him turning his head up at him again from that freezing set of thoughts. Raising his brows. " Yes. What? " and getting him a smirk from that half turn; before he motioned towards the corridor where the rest had disappeared to: that ginger poking his head out just then as a sort of reminder. " ..yeah right, of course. More baddies on the way yeah? No air to breathe. " Loki started his steps again as Tony restarted his mental engine and caught up.

Which he realized, he had been trying to do through this whole brief trip to space; hadn't he. It really wasn't just the flying doughnut that had gotten sideswiped in space at all. " ...we do gotta talk details though. Especially about that? I did pick up the bit about more guys coming, you know. How many we talking here; I mean.. armies, yes and probably plural but: letting some of us in on the basics of this eight year plan the ginger mentioned would help to know and deal with the power players like the ugly grey carny balloon you just vented? "

" I'll tell you on the way. " came with a pat to his armored shoulder and at a near chuckling tone that from the looks of it surprised him a little too. " You're not going to like it but; it's a far better deal than what Thor has in mind. And yes.. he _is_ alive. Just.. distracted with fetching a new stick with which to hit things, after his hammer was destroyed. "

" Ahh. **Yeah;** that does sound _a lot_ like something he'd do. Also ... " the almost cringe worthy pause, because he could not step into the realm of Parker's hearing range to say this and keep his pride intact: " ...thanks. "

" For what..? " sounded like he trusted the more genuine tone to the word about as much as Tony did.

" The genuine extra little sliver of hope, honestly." and he couldn't help but coin that phrase from earlier as example. " We were flagging way before the doughnut stabbings occurred. "

He got an actual, if short laugh for that one that was mirrored in the ginger's shit-eaten grin as they closed in on that turn. " Glad to give it in this case: and finally to be getting this over with. It's been ten bloody years.. "

" Got plans after? " came out without thinking. He was guessing so did the response. " Not aside from potentially making out with a very attractive dirty redhead a few shades down from my usual. "

For some reason, that made the burnt ginger dude taking the lead half trip over the corner.. 

" _Redhead,_ huh? Maybe we can make it a double date then. I got a strawberry blond waitin' back home. You stick around _long enough,_ you can even come to the wedding. ** _That'd_** put everybody's panties in a twist. "

" _Ooh._ Tempting.. "


End file.
